In the electronic interconnection field it is well known that signal transmission through electrical cable may be adversely effected by electromagnetic and radio frequency interferences (EMI and RFI). Electrical cable, especially that formed in a flat array, known as ribbon cable, typically includes a plurality of spaced conductors. The flat cable assembly typically includes a metallic shield over the length thereof which provides a further conductive path to drain EMI and RFI interferences. Similarly the electrical connector is also shielded by placement in a metal housing, commonly referred to a metal shell, and connecting the housing to the shield of the conductors contained in an insulative housing. In order to effectively shield the cable and connector the shield is typically placed at ground potential. Various signal transmission applications employing such flat multiconductor cables have signal shielding requirements which demand that each signal conductor be disposed between a pair of ground conductors to provide a ground reference for the cable. Thus, signal transmission requirements could be met by connecting the ground conductors of the flat multiconductor cable to the metal shell of the connector and the metallic shield of the cable. Various devices are known which connect the metallic shield of the cable to the back shell of the connector. One such device is shown in commonly assigned U.S patent application Ser. No. 665,971 filed Sept. 18, 1984, and entitled FLAT CABLE CONNECTOR WITH GROUNDING CLIP, now abandoned. Thus, complete grounding of the ground conductors can be accomplished by connecting these selected ground conductors to the metal shell of the connector. Connection of the ground conductors to the metal shell of the connector could be accomplished by individually connecting each of the dedicated ground conductors to the metal shell itself. However, this would involve stripping the individual conductors of the cable or other wire preparation and then soldering the conductors to the metal shell to complete the connection. An alternative method to connect the ground conductors of the cable to the metal shell is to ground the connector contacts associated with the dedicated ground conductors of the cable. Again, this can be accomplished in an individual manner, however, the contacts are arranged in the connector housing in such close proximity as to afford less than adequate room for individual connection.
It is, therefore, necessary to look toward mass connecting each of the connector contacts associated with the dedicated ground conductors. As the electrical contacts in a mass termination electrical connector are typically insulation displacing contacts the ground connection device should not interfere with the insulation displacing portions of the electrical contacts and their connection to the flat cable conductors.